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Stan Bridge | + Follow Poet |
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Bloody Omaha

Midnight June the 5th 1944 me and my buddies departed Weymouth and put out to 
sea

To smash through Hitlers eastern wall to liberate Europe and make her once again 
free

We knew some,most of us wouldnt be coming back

As we neared Omaha beach at 4am we started to take German flak

From high above us we could hear the bombers delevering there deadly cargo to 
the enemy on the ground

The french coast was pummeled as night turned to day followed by the cargos 
deathly sound

It looked like the 4th of July and i wondered if id ever see another one

Then our landing craft doors opened my buddies in front didnt stand a chance 
bullets tore them to shreds and they were gone

All around me carnage reigned we were in a killing zone the bluffs seemed so 
distant they shouldnt be that far away

I looked around me at my buddies dying or dead before me some motionless where 
they lay

Something had gone terribly wrong we wernt even on the right stretch of beach

I needed to get to cover quickly i saw a sand dune took my chance and managed 
just to reach

The day was breaking now i gazed around me as the dawn broke through the night

I felt sickened and appauled at what i saw ive never forgot that sight

And still the carnage continued as one by one the Rangers fell

Ive never been a religous man but that morning i saw hell

The Germans shouldnt be this strong here thats what we were told

But we had to get off this beach i didnt want to be one of the fallen lying 
motionless,cold

There were 36 men left in my unit we now numbered just 5

The other guys around me were dead or dying i was fighting to survive

But i was one of the lucky ones i managed to get through that day

Looking back to that time and such a terrible price my buddies had to pay

5 beaches were taken that day Gold Juno Sword Omaha and Utah

I was a young sargeant in the 2nd Rangers my beach was Bloody Omaha

And in my minds eye i still see the beach that day and the sea running red

I still see the tide washing up my buddies the dying and the dead

Historians looking back now see where the mistakes were made

Omaha bloody Omaha its referred to is where such a high price was paid

Nearly 5,000 young Americans and Canadians on that beach on that day

We must never forget them they and what they did and the price they had to pay

Omaha was the bloodiest but lest we not forget the other four

For they shall allways be in my prayers for today and for ever more

Copyright © Stan Bridge | Year Posted 2011

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